Page 443 of Lodestar

Aurora’s expression didn’t give me much hope of us getting friendly, but that was fine with me.

I didn’t need to make friends, only had to stop making enemies.

Hunter was the one I missed anyway.

I’d have just liked it if two smart-as-fuck women in positions of power in NYC’s underbelly had gotten along.

“Aurora?” Luciu drawled then switched into Sicilian—the exact goddamn reason that was at the top of my list of priorities.

I fucking loathed it when people thought they could talk around me.

Aurora glowered at me throughout whatever the hell it was Luciu was saying because,damn, Sicilian was entirely different than Italian—a whole other language in and of itself.

Eventually, she huffed. “Fine.” In Italian.

Then Conor spoke.

In Sicilian.

Goddammit, this man. He was so fucking hot with all the shit he knew. I didn’t even care that I had no idea what he said.

Luciu’s nostrils flared but he replied in English. “You learned Sicilian?”

Conor smirked. “The moment you became a faction worthy of my attention.”

Custanzu arched a brow. “Is that high praise or low?”

“The highest with Conor,” Finn retorted, leaning back in his seat with all the ease of a man who was comfortable with his power.

Andpowerthey had.

Despite losing their father, Aidan Jr. had picked up the mantle and he dominated this arena.

It wasn’t as simple as him staring down the length of the roomatthe others, but in how the others looked at him as if he were in charge.

To be fair, with the Russians and Sicilians so fresh on the scene, only the Triads were a potential threat, but how could they be when the Sicilians and Russians had such close ties to the O’Donnellys?

Check. Mate.

Oddly aroused by how much power Conor had, I waited for direction because Brennan already had his panties in a bunch from how I’d managed to dictate things since I’d shown up.

Aidan, mimicking Finn by leaning back in his seat, stated, “Conor and Star are here to help.”

“How could they help us?” the Dragon Head sneered.

Aidan waved a hand. “I’ll let Conor explain.”

“While it would be moronic to think that you’re not aware you’re on watch lists, the NSA recently had some software come under their purview.”

“Illegal software,” I muttered. “And definitely unconstitutional. The whole nine yards.

“Whichever way you swing it, the alphabets hadnoright to use it for their own gain.”

“That bad?”

“Yeah, Aurora, that bad,” I replied, shooting her a cool glance. “To the point where you, in your role as D?—”

Her eyes flared wide, then in Italian, she snarled, “They know nothing about my past.”

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